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Monthly Archives: June 2018

June 22

Theater in 1849Stephen Massett presented the first concert in San Francisco. His one-man show was held at the Police Court in Portsmouth Square. The British poet-actor, song and dance artist, composer, essayist, lawyer, auctioneer and notary public was a “wandering minstrel in many lands.”

Portsmouth Square, 1849

Fire in 1851San Francisco burned for the sixth time in two years. As before, it was set on purpose. Sea-breezes quickly spread the flames. City Hall burned, a $3 million loss, and Jenny Lind Theater burned for the sixth time. San Franciscans rebuilt with water tanks on many roofs and began to organize a fire department.

San Francisco fire (1851).

Inventions in 1875Jennett Cooper, of San Francisco, patented an improvement in medical compounds. “My invention relates to a new medical compound for the treatment of coughs, colds, all diseases of the nasal organs, throat, and lungs, liver complaint, venereal diseases, consumption, rheumatism, dyspepsia, and various other diseases.”

Jennett Cooper patented an improvement in medical compounds (1875).

Randy Jone (1976).

Sports in 1976 Randy Jones, San Diego Padres pitcher, tied the record of 68 innings without a walk. He was known as a “junkball” pitcher. Pittsburgh coach Bob Skinner said, “Randy’s pitches are too good to take and not good enough to hit.”

Movies in 1977 Walt Disney Company, in Burbank, released “The Rescuers.” It told the story of the Rescue Aid Society, an international mouse organization headquartered in New York.

June 23

Gold Rush in 1849Two nuggets, one weighed 40 ounces and the other 25 pounds, were found on the north fork of the American River according to the Placer Times.

Placer Times.

Crime in 1883Charles Earl Bowles, English born gentleman bandit known as Black Bart, left poems at the scene of his crimes. He held up Wells Fargo stage coaches 28 times. His 27th robbery was in Amador County, four miles from Jackson.

Weather in 1902The temperature at Volcano Springs set a US temperature record for June when it reached 129°F.

Rancherias in 1909The Manchester Point Arena Indian Rancheria was established. Approximately 873 Pomo people live on the 364 acre Mendocino County reservation.

Pomo basket weaver.

Watkins in 1916Carleton Watkins, photographer, died in Napa at age 87. He was the greatest documentary photographer of the West during the later 1800’s and early 1900’s.

Crime in 1930U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tingard captured the trawler known as Dora and confiscated 400 cases of imported whiskey in Drake’s Bay.

Movies in 1955 Walt Disney Company, in Burbank, released “Lady And The Tramp.” It features a pet female Cocker Spaniel named Lady and a stray male mutt called the Tramp.

Science in 1958Dr. John Jay Osborn and Dr. Frank Gerbode used their heart-lung machine to operate on an 8-year-old boy at Stanford Hospital before a television audience of some 1.2 million.

Sports in 1967Jim Ryun set a world record by running a mile in 3:51.1 at a Bakersfield track meet. The 20-year-old sophomore from the University of Kansas later entered politics and served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007.

Jim Ryun (1967).

San Francisco Food Bank.

Food Banks in 1997San Francisco Food Bank, which distributes food to hungry people in the city, opened a Potrero Hill center with cold storage.

Accidents in 1997Three new Municipal Railway cars crashed in San Francisco, injuring three MUNI employees.

Business in 2003Apple Computer Inc., in Cupertino, introduced Macintosh computers that used its “G5” microprocessor. The IBM Corp. design handled twice as much data at once as traditional PC microchips.

Fire in 2005The first major wildfire of the season burned some 5,500 acres of desert brush and at least six homes in Morongo Valley.

Morongo Valley.

Spelling in 2006Aaron Spelling, legendary film and television producer, died in Los Angeles at age 83. He was best known for shows like “Charlie’s Angels” (1976-1981) and “Beverly Hills 90210” (1990-2000). He held 218 producer and executive producer credits, the most in U.S. television history.

Julian White.

White in 2006Julian White, pianist, composer and teacher, died in Kensington at age 76. His nearly 50 years of Bay Area recitals with reflections on the relationship between music and self-knowledge developed a large audience.

Fire in 2008More than 840 wildfires sparked by a lightning storm burned across Northern California. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called on firefighters in Nevada and Oregon to help battle the blazes.

Lotto in 2009Santa Cruz resident Clyde Persley, age 49, turned in his winning SuperLotto Plus ticket to get his first check for about $16 million in four to six weeks.

SuperLotto Plus.

Falk in 2011Peter Falk, television actor, died in his Beverly Hills at age 83. He was best known as the star of the detective series “Columbo” (1971-1977).

June 24

Charles III of Spain.

Missions in 1767King Charles III, the Spanish king expelled Jesuits from Alta California missions. He heard they were keeping gold, silver and pearls from Alta California and not sharing with him. So he ordered them to return home.

Pueblos in 1835Mariano Vallejo founded the pueblo of Sonoma. He laid out the 8-acre plaza and structures facing the plaza, including the soldiers’ barracks and his home, Casa Grande. The remains of Casa Grande, the barracks and San Francisco Solano are now managed by Sonoma State Historic Park.

Sonoma Plaza drawn by George Gibbs in 1851

War in 1846The Battle of Olompali, the first battle of the Mexican American War in California, was fought. Colonel Castro’s forces from Monterey fought John Frémont’s bear flag militia. Two Americans and five or six Californios were killed. In the 1960’s, the Grateful Dead lived on the site which now is Olompali State Historic Park in Marin County.

The Greatful Dead at Olampoli.

Locomobile at GlacierPoint in Yosemite Valley (1900).

Transportation in 1900Oliver Lippincott drove a Locomobile steam car into Yosemite Valley. Lippincott, of the Art Photo Co. in Los Angeles, rode around in the first automobile in the valley for weeks to take pictures to promote Yosemite and the Locomobile.

Movies in 1916Mary Pickford became the first female movie star to sign a million dollar contract. She agreed to make 12 films in two years but with authority over their production. Known as “America’s Sweetheart,” she co-founded United Artists and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Television in 1949“Hopalong Cassidy” (1949-1952) became the first network western. It was filmed at Anchor Ranch in Lone Pine. The stories appeared first in books then on the radio and film before being adapted to television.

Sports in 1979Rickey Henderson debuted for the Oakland A’s and stole his first base. His 1,406 career steals is 50% higher than the previous record. He also holds the major league records for runs scored, unintentional walks and leadoff home runs. Henderson played for the A’s four times in his career.

Rickey Henderson.

Theodore Kaczynski, known as the “Unabomber.”

Crime in 1993David Gelernter, Yale University computer engineer, was injured in his New Haven, Connecticut office by a bomb sent by Theodore Kaczynski, called the Unabomber, from Sacramento.

Crime in 1997Dennis Hope of Rio Vista was reportedly doing a good business selling real estate on the moon. He charged $15.99 for 1,777 acres of lunar land plus tax and shipping.

Winchell in 2005Paul Winchell, ventriloquist, inventor and children’s television show host, died in Los Angeles at age 82. He was best known for working with his puppets, Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff and as the voice of Tigger, Winnie the Pooh’s friend.

Angora Fire (2007).

Fire in 2007The Angora Fire started near South Lake Tahoe. It destroyed more than 200 structures in two days. It began as an illegal campfire, burned until July 2, 2007 and caused over $141 million in damage.

Government in 2010California Budget Project, in “Making Ends Meet,” estimated a single adult must earn nearly $32,000 to live in San Francisco. Two working parents with two children needed more than $84,000 to get by in the city.

City of Oakland.

Government in 2010Oakland City Council voted to lay off 80 of the city’s 776 police officers as it slashed at a $30.5 million budget deficit.

Shorenstein in 2010Walter Shorenstein, major real estate developer, died in San Francisco at age 95. He controlled some 130 buildings nationwide.

Walter Shorenstein with Hilary Clinton (2007).

Google.

Government in 2011Federal Trade Commission opened a investigation into Google’s online search and online advertising businesses to see if it abused its dominant position.

June 25

Ranchos in 1833Rancho Punta de Lobos was deeded. The Mexican land grant ran south from Laguna de Loma Alta, today’s Mountain Lake in the San Francisco Presidio, to today’s Point Lobos, now a State Natural Reserve on the Monterey coast.

Pinnacle Cove, Point Lobos, California. Photography by Ansel Adams.

Captain William Richardson. Courtesy the Lucretia Hanson Little History Room.

Yerba Buena in 1835 Captain William Richardson built the first residence in Yerba Buena, now called San Francisco. The first Anglo resident of the Mexican village, Richardson erected a tent fashioned from an old sail as a home for himself and his wife, Maria Antonia Martinez, and their three children.

Crime in 1859Tiburcio Vasquez escaped from San Quentin Prison in Marin County. The outlaw rationalized his misdeeds later in life. “A spirit of hatred and revenge took possession of me. I had numerous fights in defense of what I believed to be my rights and those of my countrymen. I believed we were unjustly deprived of the social rights that belonged to us.”

Al Capone mug shot.

Crime in 1936James Lucas, an inmate, stabbed Al Capone in the back in prison laundry at Alcatraz. Capone was marked for refusing to join a mutiny several months earlier. The wound was not serious.

Radio in 1969KQED Public Radio, in San Francisco, began broadcasting. The schedule had 30 hours of live programming weekly; classical music, jazz, public affairs shows and programs from KQED Public Television. Today KQED is the most listened-to public radio station in the nation, with more than 800,000 listeners each week.

KQED.

LGBTQ in 1978The rainbow flag representing gay pride flew for the first time in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade. Designed by Gilbert Baker, over the years some colors were removed then re-added. The most common version has six stripes; red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.

California state flag

Government in 2008California Attorney General Jerry Brown sued Countrywide Financial, headquartered in Calabasas, for unfair business practices relating to home loan mortgages.

Fawcett in 2009Farrah Fawcett, television actress, died in Santa Monica at age 62. She was best known in “Charlie’s Angels” (1976-1981).

Jackson in 2009Michael Jackson, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor, died in Los Angeles at age 50. The King of Pop began performing as a child with his brothers and launched one of the most successful solo careers in music history.

Sports in 2014Tim Lincecum, San Francisco pitcher, hurled his second no-hitter against the Padres in less than a year for a 4-0 victory. Lincecum shut down the weakest-hitting team in the majors, striking out six and walking one in a 113-pitch outing — 35 fewer than he needed last July 13 against the Padres in his first no-hitter.

June 26

Movies in 1925“The Gold Rush,” Charlie Chaplin’s classic silent comedy, premiered at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. It tells the story of a a brave weakling, Chaplin, seeking fame and fortune among the sturdy men of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Japanese American internment in 1942Sacramento Detention Camp closed. Built on a former migrant labor camp site fifteen miles from downtown Sacramento, it was part of the forced detention of approximately 110,000 Californians of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Assembly centers were used to securely move people to the ten internment prisons.

Japanese American children in San Francisco pledging allegiance to the flag. Photo by Dorothea Lange (March 1942).

Isaak in 1956Chris Isaak, rock musician and actor, was born in Stockton. David Lynch, film director, featured his music in ‘”Blue Velvet” (1986) and “Wild at Heart” (1990). Isaak appeared in various films, mostly playing cameo roles.

Music in 1965Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” performed by The Byrds, a Los Angeles band, reached the #1 spot on the pop music charts.

Mecca.

Environment in 1990Temperature peaked at 126°F in Mecca, the highest temperature officially recorded in the U.S. for this date.

Protests in 1995People in San Francisco demonstrated on behalf of Abu-Jamal, convicted in the 1981 killing of a Philadelphia police officer. Police arrested 279 demonstrators, 34 of whom won settlements of $1,000 each for lack of probable cause in their arrests.

Abu-Jamal.

Crime in 2002A van with 27 suspected illegal immigrants crashed in Los Angeles after it tried to avoid a border patrol check, killing six people.

Whalen in 2002Philip Whalen, Zen Buddhist priest and Beat poet, died in San Francisco at age 78.

Accidents in 2006Two Navy jets collided near King City, killing one pilot.

License plate.

Government in 2013Some 32 Bay Area government agencies began using license plate readers. Police in Daly City, Milpitas and San Francisco signed agreements to provide data from plate readers to the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center.

June 27

Exploration in 1542Juan Cabrillo sailed from Mexico for Alta California. He left Navidad, today’s Acapulco, with three ships, the San Salvador, La Victoria, and San Miguel, to search for a sea route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Overland Trail in 1846The Donner and Reed families’ wagon train reached Fort Laramie. Reed met James Clyman, an old mountaineer just arrived from California via a new route, the Hastings Cutoff. Clyman warned the travelers to avoid it and follow the regular route. Tragically – they ignored him.

Nero, a Donner Party dog.

Public Health in 1899Bubonic plague reached San Francisco although political leaders denied it. Governor Henry Gage declared it a crime to publish its existence. By 1904 more than 100 people died from “syphilitic septicemia,” the official pseudonym of plague.

Steinbeck in 1902John Steinbeck, author, was born in Salinas. Some of his 27 books portray life in California, like The Grapes of Wrath (1939), which tells the hard luck Dust Bowl journey of people chasing a dream of a better life that leads them to California. The film version starred Henry Fonda.

Flight in 1923The first in-flight refueling occurred between US Army Air Service planes over Rockwell Field in San Diego.

The first in-flight refueling (1923).

Undated portrait from the prohibition era in San Francisco. Courtesy the California Historical Society.

Government in 1933California voters repealed Prohibition by a margin of over 75%. During Prohibition, grape juice came with a “warning” that if the juice sat for a specified amount of time, it would become alcoholic. California’s grape production quadrupled during Prohibition.

Roads in 1985Route 66, the highway from Chicago to Santa Monica, was declassified as a highway. It was one of the first in the U.S. and is featured in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (1939).

Route 66.

Parks in 1988San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park opened. It includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum and a library/research facility.

Sports in 1990Jose Canseco signed a record $4,700,000 per year baseball contract with the Oakland A’s.

Cubby Broccoli. this week in California hisotry

Broccoli in 1996Cubby Broccoli, film producer, died in Beverly Hills at age 87. He was best known as co-producer of many James Bond films. His Italian ancestors invented broccoli by crossing Italian rabe with cauliflower.

Environment in 1997Forty-two dead seals reportedly washed ashore at Point Reyes National Seashore during 10 days in late May and early June. Their cause of death was unknown.

Point Reyes National Seashore

Lemmon in 2001Jack Lemmon, film actor and musician, died in Los Angeles at age 76. He starred in some 60 films, was nominated eight times for Academy Awards and won twice. His work included classics like, “Some Like it Hot” (1959), “The Odd Couple” (1968) and “Grumpy Old Men” (1993).

City of Berkeley.

Government in 2006Berkeley City Council passed a resolution to let its citizens vote for the impeachment of President George Bush.

Government in 2006Oakland City Council passed a measure banning Styrofoam food packaging for restaurant takeout food.

City of Oakland.

Turner in 2008Michael Turner, comic book artist, died in Santa Monica at age 37. His company, Aspen MLT, developed online comic adaptations for the NBC series “Heroes” (2006-2010). He was best known for creating Witchblade and Fathom.

Crime in 2009A gunman opened fire outside a Pico Rivera restaurant during a fundraiser by the Old School Riders motorcycle group. Three people died, seven wounded.

Storm in 2009Gale Storm, singer and film and television actress, died in Danville at age 87. She was one of early television’s biggest stars, famous for “My Little Margie” (1952-1955) and “The Gale Storm Show” (1956-1960).

California state flag

Government in 2012Governor Jerry Brown signed a roughly $92 billion state budget bill. The budget kept most state parks open that year.

Crime in 2013Los Angeles police shot and killed 80-year-old Eugene Mallory. They raided his home based on a wrong, anonymous tip that he had a methamphetamine lab at his home. Mallory had no criminal record.

Eugene Mallory.

June 28

Treaties in 1836General Mariano Vallejo signed a peace treaty with the Wappo and Patwin tribes. Indian warriors raided ranchos and fought Mexican soldiers for years. Wappo is an Americanization of the Spanish word “guapo,” which means “brave.”

Wappo man. Photograph by Edward S Curtis (circa 1906).

Kit Carson with John Frémont. Courtesy Library of Congress.

Crime in 1846A U.S. military detachment near San Rafael was approached by three unarmed Mexicans, Jose de los Reyes Berryessa and brothers Francisco and Ramon de Haro. Kit Carson asked Captain John Fremont if he should take them prisoners. Fremont answered that he had no room for prisoners so Carson shot the men dead and left their bodies where they fell.

Railroads in 1861The Central Pacific Railroad was incorporated. With the skill and determination of thousands of Chinese workers, it built the western section of the transcontinental railroad, completing it in 1869. Today the Central Pacific Railroad is part of the Union Pacific Railroad.

Business in 1929William Fox unveiled his $5 million Fox Theater, “theater of dreams” in San Francisco. It closed in 1963.

Sports in 1969The Los Angeles Dodgers shut out the San Diego Padres,19-0. It was Don Drysdale’s only San Diego Stadium appearance,

Don Drysdale. Topps baseball card (1960).

Allan Bakke (1979).

Government in 1978 The U.S. Supreme Court ordered UC Berkeley medical school to admit Allan Bakke, a white man. He claimed his denial was based on racial quotas and sued on the basis of discrimination.

Environment in 1992A 7.3 Richter Scale earthquake, lasting two to three minutes, rocked Southern California. Around Landers, the epicenter, roads buckled, buildings and chimneys collapsed. It was the largest earthquake in the contiguous U.S. in 40 years.

USGS Landers Earthquake map (1992).

Environment in 1992 A 6.5 Richter Scale earthquake shook Big Bear Valley three hours after the Landers Earthquake. The earthquakes, 22 miles apart, struck the southern San Andreas Fault.

USGS Big Bear earthquake (1992).

Adler in 2001Mortimer Adler, philosopher, teacher and popular author, died in San Mateo at age 98. His work included How to Read a Book (1940), How to Think About God (1980) and The Four Dimensions of Philosophy (1993).

Business in 2005Google, in Mountain View, unveiled a free 3-D satellite mapping technology.

Google.

San Jose.

Government in 2006San Jose City Council passed a nonbinding resolution asking Mayor Ron Gonzales to resign following his indictment on corruption charges.

Government in 2008President George W. Bush declared a state of emergency in California and ordered federal aid to help authorities battle more than 1,000 wildfires.

Northern California wildfires (2008).

Travalena in 2009Fred Travalena, comedian, died in Encino at age 66. He headlined in Las Vegas showrooms and was a regular guest on late-night talk shows.

Stockton.

Government in 2012Stockton city officials filed for Chapter 9 protection, making it the largest U.S. city to vote itself into bankruptcy.

June 29

Exploration in 1769Gaspar de Portolà reached San Diego. He and a small group from the second Spanish land expedition were searching for Monterey Bay to establish a colony. They overshot their goal and found San Francisco Bay.

Missions in 1776Mission San Francisco de Asís was founded by Father Francisco Palóu and Lieutenant José Joaquin Moraga. The sixth of 21 missions in Alta California was known as Mission Dolores.

Environment in 1891Temperature in San Francisco reached 100° F.

Environment in 1925Santa Barbara was rocked by an earthquake. Thirteen people died in the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that destroyed the city’s historic center.

Bird of Paradise (1927).

Flight in 1927Bird of Paradise, a U.S. Army Air Corps Fokker tri-motor, completed the first transpacific flight from Oakland to Hawaii. It was a major experiment using radio beacons to aid in navigation. Some consider it an accomplishment equally to Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight.

Japanese American Internment in 1942The Marysville Assembly Center closed. It was one of 15 temporary detention centers that securely moved approximately 110,000 Californians of Japanese ancestry to ten internment prisons during World War II.

Marysville Assembly Center.

XETV.

Television in 1953XETV TV, channel 6, in Tijuana-San Diego began broadcasting. It is owned by Grupo Televisa, a Mexican media company with production facilities on both sides of the border.

Radio in 1960KYA-AM in San Francisco changed its call letters to KDBQ for two weeks. It’s been known as KSFB 1260 AM since 2007.

KYA-AM.

San Francisco Giants logo.

Sports in 1961The San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies set a record for the longest night game. They played for 5 hours and 11 minutes in a 15 inning 7-7 tie.

Flight in 1965Captain Joseph Engle reached a speed over 3,400 miles per hour and an altitude above 53 miles in the X-15, a hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft stationed at Muroc Air Force Base.

KVEA.

Television in 1966KBSC TV, now KVEA, channel 52 in Corona-Los Angeles began broadcasting. It was the third UHF station in Los Angeles and the second Spanish-language television station in the US.

Computers in 1975 Steve Wozniak tested his prototype Apple I computer. It displayed a few letters and ran sample programs. That was the first time a home computer displayed characters on a television screen.

Sports in 1979The San Diego Chicken, the team mascot, was reborn at Jack Murphy Stadium.

San Diego Chicken.

Fernando Valenzuela.

Sports in 1990California pitchers in both leagues threw no-hitters on the same day for the first time. Dave Stewart, Oakland A’s, no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays. Fernando Valenzuela, Los Angeles Dodgers, no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals.

Environment in 1991 The Sierra Madre 6.0 earthquake struck under the San Gabriel Mountains, killing two people.

Aftershock sequence of the Sierra Madre Earthquake (1991).

Sports in 1992Dennis Eckersley, Oakland A’s, pitched a record 26 straight saves in a season.

Dennis Eckersley (1992).

Turner in 1995Lana Turner, legendary film and television actress, died in Century City at age 74. She played a dangerously glamorous role in “The Postman Always Rings Twice” (1946) and starred in “The Bad and the Beautiful” (1952) and “Peyton Place” (1957).

Business in 1998Mike Corbin began manufacturing the Sparrow, a 3-wheel vehicle, in Hollister. The single-seat 960 pound electric vehicle ran 60 miles on a single charge with a top speed of 60 miles per hour. It was priced at $12,900.

Sparrow.

Clooney in 2002Rosemary Clooney, singer and film actress, died in Beverly Hills at age 74. She was one of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities of the 1950’s and aunt of actor George Clooney.

Government in 2006Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced $35 million to help salmon fisherman affected by a federal near-closure of commercial fishing.

Business in 2006Google Inc., in Mountain View, introduced an online payment service to rival PayPal.

Google.

iPhone 5s.

Business in 2007Apple Inc., in Cupertino, released the first iPhone. It sold 43.72 million iPhones in the second quarter of 2014.

Business in 2010Google Inc., in Mountain View, stopped automatically rerouting users in China to an uncensored search page. That was to protect its operating license in an effort to save its Chinese business.

Business in 2010Tesla Motors, in Fremont, began trading shares in an Initial Public Offering. The stock price opened at $17 and closed at $23.89.

Tesla Model S Concept (2009).

Environment in 2013Temperature in Palm Springs reached 122°, tied with June 28, 1994. Death Valley reached 128° to tie the 128° record set on June 29, 1994.